posted September 02, 2013 05:53 PM
I got a film with the film loaded take up reel first. Is that common? In studio engineering for audio we always loaded the tape "ran out" and set the locate to "zero". I was trying to figure out why film would do this in the finished product state. Sorry if this sounds confusing.

I'm guessing that you received a film "tails out", as if it was screened and not rewound. Standard practice is to rewind the film so that it will be ready for the next showing. Back in the days of 16mm rentals (renting films for schools, etc.) some companies preferred the films be returned tails out so they could clean and check the print for damage while rewinding.

posted September 03, 2013 12:44 AM
Some people don't rewind the films immediately to have a show with less cuts. They use the empty spool of the film they have just showed as a take up reel for the next one so the audience has not to wait too long. They rewind then all the films when the show is finished. For some reason, one reel can have been forgotten this way.

posted September 03, 2013 11:17 AM
I see, do they just shuffle the take up reels around till all the movies have played. Than rewind them on to the original reels when it's all over. Makes sense. Kinda.

posted September 03, 2013 11:29 AM
When Rank, FDA and Columbia did super 8 film rental in the UK, the first film I had was "The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad" I think it was on 400ft reels and it hadn't been rewound.

The words "What The Hell" when I first showed it to check it was OK. Of course the tail was the head, so it started from the end.

I can't remember if all three wanted you to return them not rewound though? Rank seemed to be the most relaxed about renting, they let me put their films on a large reel.